Yes. According to the Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), assaults and threats of violence against Americans at work number almost 2 million a year. The domestic violence that these Victims face can affect their job performance, absenteeism, and turnover on the job.

Ninety-four percent (94%) of Corporate Security Directors who were surveyed ranked Domestic Violence as a high security problem at their company in a 1994 survey. In that same study, sixty-six percent (66%) of Senior Corporate Executives believed that their company's financial performance would benefit from addressing the issue of domestic violence among their employees. (Roper Starch Worldwide for Liz Claiborne, 1994. Addressing Domestic Violence: A Corporate Response.)

Domestic Violence is a safety and liability concern for the Company. Employers who fail to protect their employees from violence that occurs at work may be liable.

Domestic Violence knows no boundaries and can happen any place, at any time. It is important for a Victim to be of aware of this in order to develop a Safety Plan and to inform the employer of the abusive relationship.

Once the employer has been informed of the Victim's situation, the Victim may want to:

• Obtain an Order of Protection if she does not already have one and provide her employer with a copy. And, a Victim should have a copy of the Order readily available at all times.
• Provide the employer with a picture of the Abuser and a description of his vehicle.
• Look into changing her hours.
• Change routes for going to and leaving from work.
• Screen her calls and have harassing ones transferred to security.
• Save any threatening emails or voicemail messages. These may serve as evidence in the event a Victim needs to take legal action.
• Park close to the entrance to the building and ask security to escort her to and from the building.
• Move her workspace to another area in the building or another location.
• Provide her employer with an emergency contact person in case the employer cannot reach her.
• Assess the safety of childcare arrangements.

Following are some valuable Resources and Links Regarding Domestic Violence in the Workplace:

Workplace Domestic Violence Prevention Activities in Illinois